More In Your Life

From the Archives, Feb. 11

Posted: Feb. 11, 2018 12:01 am

150 years ago

Feb. 13, 1868

The Town Clock

This institution has ceased to toll, or otherwise mark the flight of time, for the last week. We learn that this does not come from any fault of the clock, but from default of anybody to look after it, our friend Charley Crook having ceased his attention to it for want of sufficient payment. The clock has become a necessity as well as a convenience, and we should think enough might be raised among our people to keep it going, if some enterprising man would only stir in the matter. Few people have a correct idea of the trouble and time needed to keep such a clock in good running condition.

125 years ago

Feb. 16, 1893

California hermits

Men passing their lives in idle solitude on the mountain tops

Is man essentially a social animal? The scientists say so. But in the mountains of California, there are almost enough men who for years have led a life of utter solitude to disprove the generalization. These mountain hermits can be found scattered through the Sierras and the coast range from one end of the state to the other. They are particularly numerous through this region, centering about the Yosemite Valley and extending far back into the high Sierras. Some of them were once guides in the valley, others have been miners, and some again seem to have taken up the life of solitude simply because they like it.

To this class belongs old P.R. Gibson -- "Old Gib," as he is generally called -- who lives on a mountain ranch. He is 75 years old, but is possessed of as much physical strength and endurance as the average man of half his age. He came 30 years ago from Tenn., where he left a wife and a large family of children. One of his sons came to see him recently and tried to induce him to visit his former home, but "Old Gib" steadfastly refused to leave his little ranch and solitary cabin. He has never seen a railroad, and the stage drivers from the nearest station try their utmost to persuade him to go to town and at least look at a train of cars. But his invariable answer is: "Do you think I'm going down there to be blown up by one of them blamed engines? Not much!"

Nearly all the men who live this life of solitude very long get a bit queer in the head, and "Old Gib" is no exception to the rule. He has a rigmarole description of himself which declares that he is "the best man in the United States or adjoining territories, either directly or indirectly, financially, commercially, ecclesiastically or unchurchified." The old man is a hard worker, and when he is not busy on his ranch he is working energetically making "shakes" -- that is, clapboards split and sawed by hand from big pine trees.

Old man Lambert, who has a cabin in the high Sierras some 30 miles back of the Yosemite, is another of the mountain hermits. He has neither ranch nor mining claim, but lives by what he shoots and by an occasional few dollars earned from camping parties. He has lived alone in that same spot for years and years, and will in all likelihood stay there until he dies. There are months at a time that he does not see another human being. A party of campers one summer found him making a huge stone wall that seemed to have no purpose whatever. In surprise they asked him what he was piling up those stones for.

J. Walter Drake, who had been living in a shack at Cranberry Lake and working for the Jefferson Ice Co. at Waterloo during the winter, visited Stanhope Friday last for the purpose of making necessary purchases. He entered the Franklin House and seated himself in a chair in the reading room. After a time it was noticed that he had fallen asleep and upon trying to awaken him it was found that he had died while sitting in the chair. Dr. Nelden, of Stanhope, was summoned, together with Coroner James W. Mills, of Newton. The doctor pronounced death due to cerebral hemorrhage. No marks of violence were found upon the body. From a hunting license found in his pocketbook it was ascertained his name, and his age was 63 years. The hunting license gave his address as Allamuchy. Coroner Mills decided an inquest was unnecessary and placed the body in the charge of Undertaker Almer, of Stanhope, to await burial until relatives could be found and arrangements for the funeral.

75 years ago

Feb. 11, 1943

Mohawk pilot get award for valor

Lt. Boyle brought home Flying Fortress after pilot was killed and two others wounded

Lt. Joseph Boyle, son of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Boyle, of 2768 Oakwood Trail, Lake Mohawk and Teaneck, has been decorated with the Order of the Purple Heart for "extraordinary heroism" by Army Air Force Headquarters in London.

In spite of wounds in the face and legs, he succeeded in bringing the Flying Fortress, Dry Martini, back to Britain from France in a recent raid, although his pilot was dead, two other members of the crew were wounded and German fighter planes were giving chase. Lt. Boyle was copilot of the plane and the raid was over Lille, France, when a German Focke-Wulf 190 attacked after the Dry Martini had unloaded on its target and a cannon shell pierced the Martini's cockpit window and burst. The pilot, Maj. Thomas H. Taylor, of Eugene, Ore., was killed and Lt. Boyle was struck in the face and legs and stunned. When he recovered consciousness he dragged Maj. Taylor's body from the controls and began climbing back to the formation. The plane was still under attack and shells pierced the forward and turret compartments. Other crew members took turns giving first aid to the two wounded men at the gun turrets. Lt. Boyle was admitted to military hospital for treatment of his wounds and has written his parents that he was being nursed by Lt. Mary Byram, of Newton.

Lt. Boyle is 24 years old and was born in the Yukon region of Canada. Tall and blonde, he has always been fond of sports and good at them. In 1938 he was a lifeguard at Upper Mohawk Beach. A graduate of Lehigh University, he was a partner in the LaSalle Carpet Co. of New York City before entering the Army Air Forces in December 1941.

50 years ago

Feb. 15, 1968

Fredon Fire Department installs ‘Instalert' system

FREDON -- Installation of an "Instalert" radio-alerting system for notifying township firemen of fire calls has been completed in Fredon Township, it was announced Tuesday by Chief Gerald Bitzer.

The system, one of the most modern available, is the same as that which is used by most other municipalities in the county, Bitzer said.

"The system will result in much faster response to alarms by the Fredon Township firemen since they will now be notified instantly of the exact location and nature of the emergency by way of radio receivers in each of the firemen's homes," Bitzer explained.

"With this new system now in operation, all calls to the Fredon Fire Department telephone are received by the Newton Police Department and they in turn will notify the Fredon firemen by way of radio," Bitzer said.

Bitzer said that the Fredon Fire Department wished to express its appreciation for the help and cooperation of the Newton Police Department, the Newton Fire Department and the Newton Town Council, in establishing the new system.

"Operation of the new system was made possible only through the help and cooperation of the Newton departments with the consent of the Newton Town Council," Bitzer said.

25 years ago

Feb. 11, 1993

Wallkill hunt plan under review

WANTAGE -- A proposal to allow hunting of white-tailed deer in the Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge has been forwarded to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for review -- and it is anticipated that hunting in the refuge could begin this fall -- a wildlife official said.

Charles Pelizza, a regional biologist stationed at the Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge, said the proposal currently is under review at the regional U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office in Amherst, Mass. After the proposal gains approval of the regional office, it would be published in the Federal Register. Only after publication in the Federal Register would hunting then be allowed in the refuge, he said.

Pelizza said it was anticipated hunting would be allowed in the refuge in this fall.

Hunting was suggested in a management proposal for the refuge last year as a means of controlling the deer population.

Prior to the purchase of land along the Wallkill River by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for the refuge, hunting has been allowed and regulated by individual land owners, said Sylvia Pelizza, director of the refuge.

Sylvia Pelizza has said hunting was recommended in the refuge area because of the exploding deer population which had been destroying farm crops and hindering motorists.